Many people associate the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) exclusively with providing home care through nursing services and hospice care, but did you also know that we have a thriving Community Health Services department that does outreach in the community through our signature Mobile Health Clinic (MHC) and Community Health Screenings and Education program?
The Mobile Health Clinic’s main objective is to keep people out of the emergency room for nonemergency medical issues. Through the generous support of the Indian River County Hospital District, the VNA Mobile Health Clinic provides affordable healthcare throughout our community, stopping at different places nearly every day. These include the Indian River Mall parking lot and the Adventist Church, both in Vero Beach (for a detailed schedule visit here). Our Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) treat infants through adults. They can examine, diagnose and prescribe treatments and medications for illnesses such as respiratory infections, flu, strep, eye and ear infections, minor cuts, skin infections and rashes. They also provide preschool, grade school and sports physicals for Indian River County students and have Tdap vaccines for 7th graders. They can generate the DH 680 form for school vaccinations and refill medications for ongoing conditions (only medications that are not scheduled/controlled).
The cornerstone of the Community Health Screenings and Education program is its Health and Wellness Education workshops which are dedicated to helping individuals develop and reach their health goals to improve their quality of life and long-term health outcomes. Two key aspects of the program are educating participants on important health issues, such as chronic disease, and offering regular health screenings. These screenings include blood pressure and glucose at no cost. They are offered throughout our community at local organizations and residential communities and often include ‘health games.’ “I like to keep the classes fun and invigorating. A fun game of Chair Exercise Bingo exercises the mind and body!,” said Tana Wagner, one of our community health nurses.
Typically, the Community Health Screenings and Education team doesn’t attend the same events as the Mobile Health Clinic but occasionally they do. A few recent happenings where they did include the Senior Expo in March, a large indoor-outdoor event held at the Indian River Fairgrounds that was hosted by the Senior Resource Association. It helped connect our local seniors and their families with valuable resources, services and care options. Three VNA APRNs saw patients on the Mobile Health Clinic bus while Tana and another community health nurse, Maggie Creelman, saw patients inside the Senior Expo at the VNA table (VNA was one of the event’s sponsors) where they offered blood pressure checks and blood sugar screenings to attendees.
In April, the Community Health Screenings and Education team and the VNA Mobile Health Clinic participated in an Indian River School district event geared toward five-year-olds and their families. They evaluated participants and educated families about the Mobile Health Clinic, including that it provides school and sports physicals at the start of the school year as well as provides sick visits year-round.
More recently, the Community Health Screenings and Education team coordinated a Hurricane Preparedness event in conjunction with the Indian River County Department of Emergency Services, led by its coordinator, Michael Smilovich. This event was presented at various residential communities that the team visits monthly and it was very successful. “Coordinating with VNA Community Health Services is a highly beneficial partnership for our community. By working together, we are able to combine public health outreach with emergency preparedness efforts, ensuring that residents not only received vital health screenings and education but also gained awareness of emergency resources and response capabilities,” said Mr. Smilovich.
With hurricane season already here, it’s important to be as prepared as possible. To learn how you can best prepare, visit https://irces.com/em/documents/Disaster-Preparedness.pdf
And to learn more about VNA’s Community Health Services and all VNA’s home care services, please visit vnatc.com.
This information is for educational purposes. Please consult your physician for any medical issues. The Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast (VNA) is committed to bringing trusted and quality home health, private care and hospice to Indian River County patients. For more information about VNA services, call 772-567-5551 or visit www.vnatc.com.
